Wander at the Wetland rescheduled for Feb. 22, 2024 at Nygren Wetland Preserve

Natural Land Institute (NLI) will hold their annual outdoor winter event, “Wander at the Wetland: Full Moon Snowshoe & Hike” on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 at Nygren Wetland Preserve, 3190 W. Rockton Rd, Rockton, IL. This free family friendly event is an open house style affair, so you can come and go between 4:30 and 8:00 p.m. All ages will enjoy the winter landscape of the prairies and wetlands while walking, snowshoeing or skiing along a trail lined with hundreds of luminaries. The trail is less than a mile and folks can warm up at the start of the trail with a bonfire and about halfway around it at the wetland bonfire. Guides will be available to lead groups or attendees can hike the trail on their own.

Luminaries are sponsored by NorthPointe Health and Wellness Campus. Snowshoes are available to rent at the event for a $10 donation to NLI and are sponsored by Rocktown Adventures. But attendees may bring their own snowshoes or skis.

Refreshments such as hot cocoa, cookies and snacks will be available at the red barn where the check-in and resting tables are located. This is an all outdoor event so everyone is encouraged to dress for the weather and wear boots.

Registration is requested for this FREE event by Jan. 24th on the NLI website or by calling the office at 815-964-6666.

The Carl & Myrna Nygren Wetland Preserve is a 721-acre wildlife sanctuary outside Rockton, IL, which features prairies, wetlands, bottomland forest, oxbow lakes and ponds, Raccoon Creek, portions of the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers, and the Dianne Nora Nature Trail around the wetland. It is a focal point of Rockton's Pelican Fest.

The preserve is owned by the non-profit Natural Land Institute, based in Rockford, which has protected 18,000 acres of natural land in trust since 1958, currently in twelve counties in northern Illinois. 

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